Spirituality in The Children of Heaven

The Children of Heaven (1997), an Iranian film by Majid Majidi, is structured like a perfect parable. Though the viewer is encouraged to understand the motivations of the adults in the film, the protagonists are children, providing powerful metaphors about deity. The familial drama is relatable to all, across all cultures. Finally, Ali’s struggles are a perfect metaphor for the relationship weak mortals have with a merciful God.

As the title explicitly suggests, this film is about children, primarily Ali and his sister Zahra. For the most part we see the world from their perspective, and share their memories and often private thoughts. From the beginning of the film, we understand that these protagonists, and by extension ourselves, can do little on our own. Zahra’s shoes are repaired in the deft hands of an adult, and then are later accidentally pawned away by an adult. When Ali comes late to school, his own excuses offer him no sanctuary from the punishment of the schoolmaster, only his adult teacher can intervene on his behalf. Much like our lives as weak mortals on a world controlled by powers, divine and natural, much more powerful than us, our fate, to a great degree, is in the hands of these powers.

Majidi does not, however, view this challenging relationship between weak mortals and powerful Gods as inherently cruel. Though Ali and Zahra have demanding parents and teachers, they are not mean spirited. Ali does well on a test, and receives a gold pen as a prize. Zahra loses a shoe in the gutter, and two helpful men retrieve it for her. Ali and his father go out to search for gardening work, a joy and challenge that they share together. Ali plays an integral role in providing success and happiness for his father in this situation. When things get out of control, and Ali and his father are sent hurtling down the hill towards the tree at the bottom, it is not because of mistreatment from adults, but forces of nature more powerful than both the children and adults. By portraying adults as inherently kind, Majidi not only teaches us how we should teach children, but also allows insight into the relationship between loving deities and their creations.

Finally, the race sequence at the conclusion of the film is a beautiful metaphor for the way in which grace works in our lives. Ali’s goal is to get third in the race so that he can win a pair of shoes for Zahra. He has been struggling to get shoes the entire film. It is what he desires most. He runs faster than he ever has, and to his own surprise and disappointment, takes first place in the race instead of third, missing out on the new pair of shoes. He is devastated, and goes home disappointed, to soak his battered feet in the fountain at his home. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to him, their father is buying them brand new shoes for both of them. Majidi’s story is brilliantly crafted. How often have we tried so hard for the thing we want, and then missed it in unsuspecting ways, often receiving better rewards, but not the ones we wanted. Meanwhile, outside of our control and knowledge, a loving deity is preparing for us the thing we need the most. Ali worked harder to get the shoes than he had worked for anything else in his life, but no amount of work could get him his prize. He needed another to actually provide the shoes in the end.

At the film’s conclusion, Ali soaks his world weary feet in the fountain as beautiful gold fish kiss his feet. Life has not been easy for him, but he has worked hard, and has earned his own reward: the blisters of a hard run and the calming touch of a relaxing fountain. Meanwhile, by the love and grace of an adult figure, his well earned shoes are coming to him. The Children of Heaven is a simple yet profound metaphor for the experience of being a child of God.

Family in Paper Moon

Paper Moon (1973) is the fictional and hilarious documentation of an unlikely family. Though he vehemently denies it, Moses Pray is Addie’s father. At first it’s just their jaws that look similar, but as the film progresses, we discover that Addie is in every since a perfect mixture of her father and mother: an adventure loving con-man and a dolled up bar girl with a sweetheart. The discovery of these two identities are the ultimate goal for Addie. Bogdanovich favors finding one’s identity within family over all other pursuits, including moral ones.

Several scenes in the film are indicative of prioritizing family over morality. When Moses falls for Trixie Delight, taking him away from their business and more importantly, close relationship, Addie takes action. She approaches the solution to the problem from a completely morally bankrupt perspective: she will lie to Trixie, her father, and the bellhop in a scheme that will get her father to walk in on a sex scandal. A traditional narrative would punish Addie. After all, she is actively fighting against her father’s wishes in a horrible scandal that involves matters she does not fully understand. But Bogdanovich lets Addie walk away free from judgement, and both her and Imogene are able to return happily to their families. Addie devises an escape plan from the police, one which eventually comes back to punish Moses, but still gives way to their ultimate freedom and unity as a family. The final sequence may be the best example. Addie is given a morally upright lifestyle with her Aunt, one that is comfortable, clean, and by all right, ‘healthy’. But it is not with her true family, and more importantly, is not aligned with the personalities of both her mother and father. Addie runs from her Aunt’s house and joins Moses again on the road.

A unique aspect of Paper Moon is the actual father and daughter relationship between Ryan O’Neal, who plays Moses, and Tatum O’Neal, who plays Addie. Their comfortability is extremely apparent on screen, and allows for both Ryan and Tatum to deliver astounding performances, especially in the case of such a young performer as Tatum. The film also becomes, in many ways, a documentary about Ryan O’Neal introducing his daugher to his own career. Much like Moses in the film, O’Neal is going on a sort of professional journey with his daugher, where he is coaching her and also learning from her in the field of acting (a profession that could be considered as risky as bible selling!). The film works in this way on two levels. Fictionally, it is a story about two characters choosing family over all other ultimate goals, and in real life, it shows the O’Neals sharing a professional experience and relationship as a means of coming together as father and daughter.

Critique in Speed Racer

The Wachowski's Speed Racer is a film like no other. Aesthetically, it is a critique of the film medium. By exposing the apparatus of CGI, the Wachowski's embrace the contrived reality of the film world and revel in its artificiality, simultaneously critiquing those films (including their own work) that has tried to hide it so carefully while reveling in the amazing visual power of digital film. The film also critiques the way in which we classically understand and tell narratives, casting linearity to the side and replacing it with a stylized 'race collage' form that is guided by kinetics rather than temporality. These formal critiques serve as the ideal backdrop to the thematic weight of the film, which criticizes money motivated corporations in favor of the art and expression found in the individual and family.
The CGI used in the film can be described as nothing less than exuberant. Always favoring color and form over 'realism', Speed Racer does not mind that you will immediately recognize the world as fake. This is exactly its purpose. The architecture is nonsensical and the physics impossible. This serves two purposes, in my mind. The first is to draw the viewers attention to the insincere nature of film as a medium. Almost every film utilizes fake sets, special effects (even if they are practical), and camera angle and techniques that cavalierly break the rules of physics and reality in the name of 'narrative'. By breaking these rules with such exuberance, the Wachowski's demonstrate that critique is not only possible, it can be joyful and jovial.
This childlike joviality is blatantly apparent in the way they choose to tell the story of speed racer. The Wachowski's construct a new narrative form I term 'race collage'. Pulled heavily from Japanese and American cartoons and action films, the race collage form prioritizes kinetics over all. Though a clear three act structure still acts as the backbone of the film, the individual sequences are told in a radically new way. Flashbacks, flash forwards, talking heads, and stunning action sequences are stacked together with literally no breathing room, the oncoming action often acting as the transition that wipes the previous from the screen. The viewers eye leaps from image to image, engaged primarily through kinetics, while plot is delivered secondarily. Similar to the visuals of the film, this is also an exuberant critique. Not only does it point out the method in which chaos cinema is increasingly engaging its audiences, it does it better than any other film of its kind, reveling in its own critique.
These formal choices all lie as a backdrop to the thematic critique of the film. The money grubbing corporations of Speed Racer could not be more evil, relying on piranha-feeding mobsters, shady deals, and straight out cheating to accomplish their means. They are the perfect antithesis to the Racers, who live in a classic 70's American home, are more excited for a glass of milk than a gold trophy, and are raised by John Goodman (as all good American boys should be). Rather than splitting apart at the first sign of trouble, the Racers learn to stick together through their hardships. Instead of racing for money, they race for 'art' as Mrs. Racer reminds Speed, and use the organic and encouraging phrase 'it's in our blood' to remind themselves why they do what they do. Ultimately, the Racers triumph, not only taking home the trophy, but also coming together as a family. Mr. Royalton ends up behind bars, where all money grubbing CEO's belong. This critique is also done with childlike exuberance, not holding back from a single cliche.
Speed Racer is a film that proves that you can poke fun while still having fun. Though regarded by many as nauseating eye candy, I would argue that Speed Racer is acutely aware of the moves it is making, and can be seen as a joyful critique. It is one of those rare films, like Young Frankenstein and Deadpool that manages to make fun of its own medium, while simultaneously managing to be one of the best examples of that very medium.